Starting mechanism fob



Patented Sept. 80, 1919.

INVENTOR ATTORN EY F. CONRAD,

STARTING MECHANISM FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED 050.4.1913. 1,317,269.

' FRANK CONRAiD, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATIQN OF PENNSYLVANIA.

STAB-TING MECHANISM FOR GAS-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

Application filed December 4, 1918. Serial No. 804,846.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FRANK CONRAD, a cit1- zen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Starting Mechanism for Gas-Engines, of which the follow-.

in is a specification.

y invention relates to starting mechanisms for gas engines, and it has particular reference to starting mechanisms which embody motors or other self-starting devices.

My invention has for its ob]ect to provide a means whereby fuel is automatically supplied to the intake pipe of a gas engine simultaneously with the rotation of the crank shaft to start the engine.

It frequently occurs, in the starting of gas engines, that the initial supply of combustible mixture which is drawn from the carbureter is of such quality that it cannot be readily ignited. The temperature of the carbureter and the supply of liquid fuel contained in it is lower than that during the normal operation of the machine and the fuel is not readily vaporized, thus producing a weak mixture. This condition is especially prevalent in cold weather when it is most inconvenient and unpleasant to prime the engine cylinders manually.

I have provided a system which comprises an electro-magnetic priming device which is operated from a battery that supplies power to a starting motor. The priming device is controlled by the same switch that controls the motor circuit, thus insuring that the engine will automatically receive a rich mixture simultaneously with the rotation of the engine shaft. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View of circuits and apparatus embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a view, partially in elevation and partially in section of a modification, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a view, in longitudinal section, of a priming device.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, a gas engine 1 comprises the usual intake pipe 2 and the intake manifold 3. A priming device 4, the details of which will be described later, is mounted upon the intake manifold 3 near the upper end of the intake pipe 2 and is connected by a pipe 5 to a supply tank 6. The engine fly wheel 7 is provided with gear teeth 8.

An electric motor 9 is provided with an armature shaft 10 upon which a pinion 11 1s slldably keyed or splined. .The pinion 11 is shifted into and out of mesh with the fiy wheel gear teeth 8 by means of a yoke member 12 that is fixed upon a slidably mounted shift rod 13. The rod 13 is shifted by a pedal 14 having a pivotal support indlcated at 15 and located within convenient reach of the operator of an automobile, or other motor vehicle. A spring 16 normally retains the pinion 11 in its disengaged position, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The shift rod 13 carries the movable member 17 of a switch 18 which controls the circuit of the motor 9 and also that of the magnetic priming device 4.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, the priming device-consists of an outer shell or casing 19, of phosphor bronze or similar material, having a reduced portion 20 that is threaded for connection to the intake manifold 3. The casing 19 is provided with a central bore 21 which forms a chamber or reservoir for liquid fuel. The chamber 21 is connected by an opening 22 with a nipple 23 that is adapted for connection to a source of fuel supply. An axial opening 24 connects the chamber 21 with radial grooves 25 which extend across the bottom of the reduced portion 20 and provide an outlet for the fuel used in priming. a

The opening 24 is controlled by a valve 26 which comprises a guide rod 27 that is provided with lock nuts 28 to limit the upward movement of the valve. A spring 29 nor mally holds the valve 26 in its closed position. The valve is opened by electromagnetic means comprising a coil 30 that is inclosed in a cylindrical 'bushing 31. The bushing 31 has a driving fitwith a flange 32 of the casing 19 and serves to retain in position an iron disk 33 and a brass lining 34. The brass lining serves as a gasket to prevent the fuel from leaking or penetrating the structure of the coil 30. The magnet is provided with a movable core member 35 which is attached at one end to the valve 26. The other end of the core member 35 extends into a cylindrical portion 36 of the lining 34. A pole piece 37 is attached to a member 38 that is integral with the bushing 31, these members, with the disk 33 and the core member 35, forming the magnetic circuit of the magnet.

One terminal of the coil 30 is grounded by a conductor 39 to the bushing 31. The other terminal extends through an insulated opening 40 in the member 38 and ends in a coil 41, to be engaged by a conductor 42. A threaded bushing 43 carries the conductor 42 and controls the pressure with which it engages the coil 41. A suitable binding screw 44 forms the outer terminal for the coil 30.

Fuel is supplied under pressure at all times by the tank 6 to the reservoir 21. When it is desired to start the engine, the operator actuates the pedal 14 to shift the rod 13 forwardly to simultaneously mesh the pinion 11 with the fly wheel gear teeth 8 and to close the switch 18. Current will then flow from the ungrounded side of a battery 45 through the motor windings and also through a shuntcircuit comprising the coil 30 of the priming device. The motor will rotate the engine shaft and, at the same tune, the valve 26 of the priming devlce Wlll be raised to allow the fuel, which may be gasolene or other liquid that is rich in hydrocarbons, to flow into the intake manlfold 3. The vapors of the priming fluid \v1ll' be taken up by the air drawn in by the engine pistons, and a rich combustible m xture will be provided which may be readlly ignited by the usual ignition devlces. The result 1s to render the operation of starting much easier and shorter, thereby reducing the amount of power required to be drawn from the storage battery. When the engine starts, the operator will release the pedal 14 to permit the spring 16 to retract the shlft rod 13 and thereby disengage the pinlon 11 from the gear teeth 8 and open the circuits of the motor 9 and the priming device 4.

A modification of my invention is illustrated in Fig. 2 in which like numerals designate corresponding parts. The pri ming device 4, instead of being supplied with fuel under pressure, as from the tank 6 of Fig. 1, is connected by a pipe 46 to float chamber 47 of a carburetor 48 which normally supplies the engine with fuel. The carbureter 48 comprises an annular float 49 that operates a valve 50 to control the level to which the gasolene, or other liquid, rises in the float chamber 47. A jet 51 sprays liquid fuel into the air-that is drawn into the air intake pipe 52 by the engine cylinders. The fuel intake pipe 2 is provided with the usual butterfly or throttle valve 53 which controls the fuel supply to the engine. The electrical connections for the modification illustrated in Fig. 2 are the same as those shown and described in connection with Fig. 1.

When it is desired to start the engine, the throttle valve 53 will be nearly closed. When the circuit of the magnet coil 30 is closed and the valve 26 is raised, the suction produced by the engine pistons Will cause gasolene to be drawn from the float. chamber 47 through the pipe 46, opening 22 of the priming device 4, chamber 21 and opening 24 into the intake manifold 3. The quantity of gasolene thus drawn into the manifold 3 may be regulated by adjusting the position of the valve 53. The larger the area of the opening through the valve, the smaller the quantity of fuel which passes through the priming device 4. It is also possible to vary the quantity of gasolene during the starting operation. It is generally advisable to provide a rich combustible mixture initially in starting the engine, and, if the latter does not start readily, to reduce the quality of the mixture, as an eX- cessively rich mixture renders ignition, in starting, as difficult as a poor or weak mix ture.

The advantages of the system last described are that the liquid fuel is not under pressure and the operator may regulate the relative quantity ofpriming fluid supplied by means of the usual fuel lever that con trols the throttle valve.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a starting system, the combination with an internal combustion engine having a shaft and an intake manifold, of an electro-magnetic priming device for supplying fuel to said manifold, an electric motor in circuit with said priming device, and means for simultaneously effecting the operative connection of said motor to said engine 100 shaft and closing the circuits of said motor and said. priming device.

2. In a starting system, the combination with an internal combustion engine having a shaft, and a gear wheel on said shaft, of 105 an electric motor having a shaft, a slidable pinion on the motor shaft for coacting with said gear wheel, a shiftable member for con trolling said pinion, an electromagnetic priming device having an actuating coll, 110 and means on said shiftable member for simultaneously controlling the circuits of said motor and said coil.

3. In a starting system, the combination with an internal combustion engine having 115 a gear wheel operatively connected thereto, of an electric motor having a shaft, a pinion on said shaft slidable into and out of mesh with said gear wheel, a shiftable member for controlling said pinion, an electro- 120 magnetic priming device, a battery and a switch controlled by said shiftable member for connecting said battery to said motor .and to s-a1d priming device simultaneously fuel to the manifold of said engine for starting, an electric motor in circuit with said priming device, means foroperatively connecting said motor to said shaft, a battery, and means for simultaneously connecting said battery in circuit with said motor and said priming device.

5. In a starting system, the combination with an internal combustion engine having a fuel-intake pipe, a throttle Valve therein and means for supplying fuel to said engine through said intake pipe, of a by-p-ass from said fuel-supplying means around said simultaneously controlling said motor and said electrically-operated means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th day of Nov., 20 1913.

FRANK CONRAD.

Witnesses WILLIAM M. BRADSHAW, B. B. Hnms. 

